Two Blues confirm top of the ladder billing

ANY doubt Prahran is a legitimate premiership contender in VAFA Division 1 was put to rest with Saturday’s 19 point win over in-form Ormond.

Although the win came with asterisk after Ormond scored five goals to nil in the final quarter, the truth is this game was over at three quarter-time.

After Ormond kicked the first two goals of the game the Two Blues kicked 12 of the next 14 goals.

That was an emphatic statement against a team that had won its previous four games and showed why the Two Blues are a worthy ladder leader, a game and percentage clear with a 10-2 win-loss ledger.

This was an unusual match on several fronts.

The prelude to the game was bizarre as the Two Blues home ground Lucas Reserve was rendered unplayable when raw sewage seeped into the away change rooms and onto the ground.

Fortunately for the hosts there was a nearby oval Darling Park 200m away in fact in better condition than Lucas.

This was a game of momentum swings with Ormond clearly the better team in the first quarter holding the Two Blues goalless until Ethan Plaza marked and converted after the siren.

That paved the way for the game defining burst of three goals from the most lethal small forward on the ground Taylor Bamford.

Thanks to his exploits Prahran led by nine points at half-time after the Two Blues had upped their pressure rating.

When Two Blues took control with seven centre bounce clearances to one in the second term the game swung back in the home team's favour.

What followed in the third quarter was seven goals to one and game as good as over.

The bigger bodied, harder tackling Prahran took total control.

Bamford started the rout with a snap goal in the opening minute. After a missed set shot from 20m by Ormond, then Matthew Clifford snapped a goal. Ollie Burke found Max Milward 25m out then Milward handpassed to Clinton Angove to run into an open goal . When George Torney converted from a free kick for a push in the back and it was five goals in 10 minutes. 

The cautionary tale for the Two Blues was when they released the pressure valve in the last quarter Ormond's slick running game came to the fore with five unanswered goals.

While the margin of 19 points wasn't an accurate reflection of Prahran's domination for two quarters it was probably accurate in that not a lot separates these teams for talent.

Until that last quarter hiccup the Two Blues defence lived up to its statistical rating of the best in the competition with Joel Hume, Jayden Williams and Pat Ribbands as steady as ever.

Given Ormond's dominance of inside 50s in the first quarter restricting the Monders to just two goals proved pivotal.

The usual suspects Rory Brodie, Mackenzie Mayne and James Musster were among Prahran's best but the even spread of contributors was even more telling.

 PRAHRAN 1-2 5-3 12-6 12-9 (81)

ORMOND 2-3 3-5 4-8 9-8 (62)

Goals. Bamford 4, Milward 2, Hogan, Clifford, Musster, Chapman, Angove.

Best. Taylor Bamford, Rory Brodie, Mackenzie Mayne, James Musster, Shaun Chapman, Joel Hume.

RESERVES

A great day for the Two Blues after the Reserves set the scene with an upset gritty three point win over ladder leader Ormond.

In a tense, goalless, final quarter both teams missed several kickable set shots with Prahran holding on grimly.

On a day when goals were gold Gus Perez' three goal contribution was telling as was Jackson Partridge's welcome first game of the season following knee surgery.

 PRAHRAN 1-2 3-5 5-8 5-12 (42)

ORMOND 1-7 2-10 4-11 4-15 (39)

Goals. Perez 3, Maya, O'Sullivan.

Best. Jackson Partridge, Angus Perez, Adam Heatley, Tyrone Jennings, Michael Woods, Jack Matherson.